10th Infantry Division "Piave"


The 10th Infantry Division "Piave" was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. At the beginning of World War II Piave was classified as an auto-transportable division, meaning it had some motorized transport, but not enough to move the entire division at once. On 15 July 1941 the division reorganized to a fully motorized division and was renamed 10th Motorized Division "Piave". The division was named after the river Piave, where during World War I Italy and Austria fought three major battles. The division had its recruiting area in Veneto and its headquarters in Padua. Its two infantry regiments were based in Vicenza and Padua, with the division's artillery regiment also based in Padua.

History

The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Abruzzi" established on 16 April 1861 with the 57th and 58th infantry regiments.

World War I

The brigade fought on the Italian front in World War I. On 31 December 1926 the brigade was disbanded and its two regiments were transferred to the other brigades: the 57th Infantry Regiment "Abruzzi" to the IX Infantry Brigade and the 58th Infantry Regiment "Abruzzi" to the X Infantry Brigade. The X Infantry Brigade, which also included the 56th Infantry Regiment "Marche" and the 71st Infantry Regiment "Puglie", was the infantry component of the 10th Territorial Division of Padua, which also included the 20th Artillery Regiment. On 1 January 1928 the X Infantry Brigade exchanged the 56th Infantry Regiment "Marche" for the 55th Infantry Regiment "Marche" of the XIII Infantry Brigade. In 1934 the division changed its name to 10th Infantry Division "Piave".
On 22 February 1939 the 55th Infantry Regiment "Marche" was transferred to the newly raised 32nd Infantry Division "Marche" and on 15 May 1939 the 71st Infantry Regiment "Puglie" was transferred to the newly raised 38th Infantry Division "Puglie". On the same date the 57th Infantry Regiment "Abruzzi" returned to the division, the X Infantry Brigade was dissolved and the two infantry regiments came under direct command of the division, and the 57th and 58th infantry regiments and 20th Artillery Regiment changed their names to "Piave".

World War II

On 10 June 1940 the Piave division was mobilized for war, but did not participated in hostilities. In early February 1941, it moved to Sicily in the area of Casteltermini, Canicattì, Aragona and Mussomeli. At the time it was subordinated to the XII Army Corps. In February 1941 it received additional materiel to become a "motorized division". On 27 March 1941 the Piave was sent to the province of Udine on the Italian-Yugoslav border in preparation for the Invasion of Yugoslavia, which commenced in April 1941. By 16 April 1941 the division had advanced to the Pivka area. Once hostilities ended the division moved to Liguria between Savona and Genoa, where it arrived in May 1941. Between 21 June and 15 July 1941 the division was fully motorized and changed its name on the latter date to 10th Motorized Division "Piave".
In spring 1942 the regimental depots of the Piave raised the infantry and artillery units of the 105th Infantry Division "Rovigo". On 12 November 1942 the Piave moved to the area between Saint-Tropez and Grimaud in Southern France as part of the Axis occupation of France.
Between 1–10 January 1943 the division returned to Italy, where it was assigned to the Corpo d'Armata Motocorazzato, whose duty was to guard the southern approaches to Rome from a possible allied invasion. The division stayed in Velletri-Sezze-Priverno until August 1943 when the Italian focus shifted to prevent a possible German invasion. The division therefore moved to the North of Rome to the area around Via Cassia and Via Tiburtina. After Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943 the Piave received orders to move to Palombara Sabina, but was ambushed on the way by German detachments at Ponte del Grillo, north of Monterotondo. The division counterattacked and forced the German forces to retreat to Monterotondo. After negotiations with the German command, the Piave was transferred to the control of the municipal council of Rome and performed police duties in the city until the Germans dissolved the division on 23 September 1943.

Organization

10th Infantry Division "Piave" / 10th Motorized Division "Piave", in Padua
  • * 57th Infantry Regiment "Piave", in Vicenza
  • ** Command Company
  • ** 3× Fusilier battalions
  • ** Support Weapons Company
  • ** Mortar Company
  • * 58th Infantry Regiment "Piave", in Padua
  • ** Command Company
  • ** 3× Fusilier battalions
  • ** Support Weapons Company
  • ** Mortar Company
  • * 20th Artillery Regiment "Piave", in Padua
  • ** Command Unit
  • ** I Group with
  • ** II Group
  • ** II Group
  • ** III Group
  • ** XII Mixed Anti-aircraft Group
  • *** 2x batteries with 75/27 C.K. anti-aircraft guns on Lancia 1Z trucks
  • ** 310th Anti-aircraft Battery
  • ** 220th Anti-tank Battery
  • ** Ammunition and Supply Unit
  • * X Mortar Battalion
  • * Tank Squadron
  • * 10th Anti-tank Company
  • * 10th Telegraph and Radio Operators Company
  • * 42nd Engineer Company
  • * 810th Transport Section
  • * 117th Medical Section
  • ** 816th Field Hospital
  • ** 817th Field Hospital
  • ** 1× Surgical Unit
  • * 22nd Supply Section
  • * 10th Truck Section
  • * 127th Bakers Section
  • * 31st Carabinieri Section
  • * 32nd Carabinieri Section
  • * 66th Field Post Office
During its reorganization as fully motorized division the Piave was augmented between 21 June and 15 July 1941 with the following units:
  • X Heavy Weapons/Anti-tank Battalion
  • CX Mixed Engineer Battalion
  • IX Infantry Replacements Battalion
  • X Infantry Replacements Battalion
  • 108th Bersaglieri Motorcyclists Company
In November 1941 the two infantry replacement battalions entered the newly activated 10th Infantry Replacements Grouping and the division received an anti-aircraft artillery group:
  • LXXIX Anti-aircraft Artillery Group
In October 1942 the division received one more unit:
  • 236th Transport Section
In 1943 the division received two more units:
  • DLVII Self-propelled Anti-aircraft Artillery Group
  • DLX Self-propelled Artillery Group

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officers were:
10th Infantry Division "Piave":
10th Motorized Division "Piave":